Liquid level gauge



March 10, 1936. N. SARUCHANOFF LIQUID LEVEL GAUGE Filed Nov. 21, 1953 F Fig.7.:

2 V i la If lln 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ils'ali I i. i 1 b I L Y- 5 2/ l0 Inventor.-

March 10, 1936.

N. SARUCHANOFF' LIQUID LEVEL GAUGE Filed Nov. 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor: M%M

I Amfney Patented Mar. 10, 1936 LIQUID LEVEL GAUGE Nikita Saruchanofl, Berlin-charlottenburg,

/ Germany Application November 21, 1933, Serial No. 699,038

In ltumania. November 23, 1932 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for ascertaining the weight of a liquid-in a container, more especially in overground gasoline tanks by means of a U-shaped pipe connected with the tank and preferably filled with mercury. The invention consists in connecting a compressed-air line with I the air space of the tank by a line capable of being shut and providing 'at the top of the line connecting the U-pipe with the tank an opening capable of being closed, for instance a cock, or the like, and at the U-pipe itself a second cock for withdrawing or supplying mercury, and a zero-adjusting device carrying a slider, or the like, for indicating the zero-point, to which the mercury level is to be adjusted in each case of a measuring the weight of the liquid contained in the tank. Furthermore according to my invention' the U-pipe consists of two separate legs tightly connected with a suitable connecting bridge carrying the above-mentioned delivery cock, the parts being'so arranged that each of the legs when broken can be replaced by a fresh one.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings showing some modifications.

Figure 1 shows the complete arrangement of T a weighing apparatus according to the invention connected with an overground tank, whereas Figures 2 and 3 illustrate on an enlarged scale two diiferent modifications of the exchangeable U-shaped pipe. 4

At a small distance from the bottom of the tank apipe 2 about 1% to 2 inches in diameter is secured to the tank I so that a portion of it 5 extends into the tank, its outer end being providedwith a slide valve 3, or the like, and at the top with an opening capable of being closed, as

for instance a cock 4. This cock is for letting of! any air which could arrive from the .tank into 40 the pipe 2 and exert a pressure on theliquid in the tube, so that only the hydrostatic pressure of the liquid in the pipe 2 is eflective. An additional important function of the opening 4 will be described hereafter. Beneath the check valve 5 a w 45 U-shaped pipe 6' pervious to light, preferably made of glass is provided which is preferably filled with mercury and carriesat its lower end acock l for suppLvingor discharging mercury. The

. right hand leg of the u-pipe is connected to a 50 compressed-air line 2| and provided with a zeroadjustment device 8 consisting of a scale and a j slider adjustable thereon which may be adjusted to the Zero-line of the mercury required for meas-w uring operation to which afterwards the mercury 55 level is tobe regulated in each case of measure mg the weight by means 'of the compressed-air line. I

The transition of mercury into the line 2 or the tank or the compressed-air line H connected to line 2| is prevented by the check valves 5 and 5 I I0, should the pressure on one or the other leg of the U-pipe rise to an excessive extent. When the pressure in the line 2| is too high, the cock 9 is opened until the mercury in the zero-adjustment device 8 has attained the zero-line deter- 10 mined, by the slide, whereas when the pressure in the line 2| is too low, further compressed air is introduced from the compressed-air container I! by opening the cocks l3 and I6 until the marcury is also again adjusted to the given zero-line. 15 Thecompressed-air container I! which may have small dimensions and is preferably provided with a controlling gauge I8 is filled by a simple hand pu p" which is connected by opening the cock 19. The precisely measuring pressure 20' gauge l5 adjusts itself when closingcockl6 and opening cock l3 to" the pressure existing in the compressed-air line H, 2| and thereby exactly indicatesthe hydrostatic pressure existing in-the tank when adjusting the mercury inthe U-pipe 25 6 to the zero-point fixed by the slide. Air.con- I tainer I! hand air pump 20 and gauge i5 form a portable device which may be used for any number of tanks and is connected by means of the flexible pipe M to the U-pipe which is formly 30 secured together with its appliances to the tank.

The compressed-air pipe 2| further communicates with the air space of the tank by a pipe l2 which may be closed by means of the cock II. A pressure formed in the tank by vapors above the liquid may therefore be eliminated completely by connecting the air space of the tank with the compressed-air line 2| so that the gauge IS in fact only indicates the exact hydrostatic pressure in the tank.

In the modificationshown in Figures 2 and 3 the U-pipe 6 is made exchangeable and consists of two legs tightly connected at their lower ends with a connecting bridge 23, carrying the cock 'I for supplying or withdrawing mercury. The

upper ends of the legs are likewise tightly connected with separate connecting elements 21 either .immediately communicating with the check valves 5, I0 (Figure 2) or being connected to the latter by means of a T-sha'ped piece 24 (Figure 3)., These T-shaped pieces are closed on the other side by means of screws 25, one of.

which may be provided with an opening capable 1 of being closed. Should one or the'other leg of the communicating pipe 5 break, the connecting 5c bridge 23 and the pieces 2! may be unscrewed and the defective leg may be immediately replaced by a new one; The valve 26 is a controlling valve permitting liquid coming from the tank to gradually enter the communicating pipe 6. This gradual fiow is not readily attainable with the slide valve 3.

The weight of the liquid contained in the tank is measured by the apparatus according to the present invention in the following way:

At first the slide valve 3 and the opening 4 at the top of line 2 are opened whereby the liquid enters until it reaches the mercury in the left hand leg of the U-pipe, the air contained in the pipe 2 being discharged by the opening 4.'

The same level of this discharge opening in the tank corresponds to the surface of the permanent residue in the tank which is in any case neglected when measuring the weight of the liquid in the tank. Now when closing the slide valve 3 and openingthe discharge cock 9 there is only the pressure of the liquid column in the left hand leg of the U-pipe 6 acting upon the mercury in the pipe, the mercury in the right hand leg of the U-pipe rising to a level above that in the left hand leg by a value corresponding to the pressure of the liquid column in the left hand leg up to the discharge point of the opening 4. The mercury level appearing in the right hand leg of the U-pipe is then the zero-point for the measurements of the weight of the liquid in the tank, to which point the slider of the zero-adjustment device 8 is exactly adjusted. The opening 4 and the cock 9 are now closed and then the slide valve 3 and the cocks i3 and I6 are opened so that the whole height of the liquid of the tank acts upon the left hand leg of the U-pipe, and the compressed air acts on the right hand leg. Hereupon the cock I6 is again closed. Now when the mercury in the right hand'leg of the U-pipe appears below the zero-point fixed by the slider of the zero-adjustment device, compressed air from the line 2|, I4 is withdrawn by pipe 9unti1- the mercury in the right hand leg rises up to the slider of the zero-adjustment device 8. When, however, the mercury level in the right hand leg of the Uo-pipe appears above the zero-point fixed by the slider, compressed air from the container from the pressure gauge.

I1 is introduced by the cock l6 until the mercury level inthe right hand leg has been lowered to the zero-point marked by the slider. The hydro-- static presure existing in the tank above the permanent residue, 1. e., above the level of the opening 4, then exactly balances the pressure of the compressed-air line and thus can be read oi! By multiplying the pressure indicated by this gauge by the area of the bottom surface of the tank at once the weight of the whole liquid contained in the tank above the surface of the permanent residue is obtained.

of the liquid in a container, the combination of a U-shaped pipe filled with mercury and communicating with a container, a compressed air line supplied with a pressure gauge and connected to the saidfU-pipe, and communicating by a line, capable of being closed, with the airspace of the container, vent means at the top of the line connecting the U-shaped pipe with the tank, a cock for withdrawing and supplying mercury'connected with the said U-shaped pipe, and a zero-adjustment device comprising a slider indicating the zero-point.

2. In an apparatus for ascertaining the weight of the liquid in-a container, the combination of an exchangeable U-shaped pipe, comprising two separate legs, connected by a separate bridge, filled with mercury and communicating with a container, a. compressed-air line supplied with a pressure gauge and connected to the said U-pipe, and communicating by a line, capable of being closed, with the air-space 0f the 'containen vent means at the top ofthe line connecting the U- shaped pipe with the tank, a cock for withdrawing and supplying mercury connected with the said connecting bridge, and a zero-adjustment 

